Hector Zeroni

Hector "Zero" Zeroni is a character in the novel "Holes". He is nicknamed "Zero" by the other boys in D-Tent because he does not talk much and is considered stupid. It may also have to do with his last name; Zero-ni. Despite being smallest of the group, he is a faster digger than the other boys. Hector later mentions that he does not like "answering stupid questions" even though the answers might show that he is extremely good at math. He can quickly calculate how many letters are in the alphabet (on his first day of knowing them) and how many days are between May 27 and July 8. He is sent to Camp Green Lake the day after a pair of shoes fall on Stanley's head for stealing a pair of shoes at a Payless ShoeSource.

Plot

Zero knows about the shoes that Stanley "stole." The other boys are astounded that Stanley made Zero talk.

Zero reveals that he cannot read (he is also homeless with a missing mother) so he and Stanley come to an agreement: Zero will dig part of Stanley's hole each day and Stanley will teach Zero how to read. They become friends, and Zero reveals that his real name is "Hector Zeroni." Stanley does not at first realize what this entails, though the implication is that Hector is Madame Zeroni's great-great-great grandson. The other boys, however, are angry with the deal between Stanley and Hector, which they see as racist (Stanley, who is Caucasian, has Hector, who is African-American, do his work). A fight ultimately breaks out over it and is halted by the appearance of the Warden. She and the other counselors become angry with Stanley for not digging his hole (even though he claims that the hole is being dug anyway, so it doesn't matter) and then mock Hector by asking him how to spell words. Hector knocks out Pendanski with a shovel and runs away from the camp. The Warden orders all records relating to Zero removed to cover up his seemingly inevitable death. A few days later, Stanley escapes in search of his friend. He finds him hiding under a boat, eating a stew of fermented spiced peaches, which he calls Sploosh (the boat belonged to Sam the onion man, and the Sploosh was "Kissin' Kate" Barlow's special spiced peaches that she gave to Sam in exchange for his fixing of her schoolhouse). Hector does not want to return to the camp. Stanley notices an unusual rock formation far to the west. It looks like a thumb, and Stanley assumes this is what his great-grandfather meant by "God's thumb" (his great-grandfather found refuge as well as food and water up on "God's thumb" after he was robbed by Kissin' Kate). They decide to climb to the peak to survive. Hector is taken ill, however, and Stanley must carry him up. Stanley quietly sings his ancestors' song "If Only" as they climb. Eventually, the boys discover a natural water hole and a large bed of wild onions. Stanley gives the water to Zero and sings the song, unknowingly following the instructions of Madame Zeroni. They survive on the onions and water for about a week and a half (this was Sam's secret onion field).

During this time, Hector reveals that he stole the shoes, and it is his fault Stanley got sent to Camp Green Lake. When the commotion over their loss started, Zero abandoned the shoes. Zero later tried to steal another pair and was caught and sentenced to the work camp.

After living on the peak for some time, the boys decide to return to Camp Green Lake to find out what is hidden there. They steal shovels, find the hole where Stanley unearthed a gold lipstick tube, and begin to dig. As dawn approaches, they finally uncover a suitcase. Just as Stanley hands it to Hector, the Warden, Mr. Sir, and Mr. Pendanski show up and try to confiscate it. They are halted by a nest of deadly yellow-spotted lizards which also were living in the hole. Although the adults are worried about aggravating them, the lizards don't bite the boys, as the onions that they ate act as a natural repellent. When dawn approaches, the lizards go back into the hole and a lawyer representing Stanley arrives. The Warden tells the lawyer that the suitcase is hers, however Hector stops her by pointing out that the nameplate on the suitcase says "Stanley Yelnats." This shocks the Warden considerably, as she didn't believe that Hector could read. When the lawyer takes Stanley and the suitcase home, Stanley insists that Hector come as well, since he knows that the Warden will "kill him." Since Hector's files are destroyed, thus leaving no evidence of his arrest, the lawyer agrees.

The suitcase that had been found contains the belongings of Stanley Yelnats I, almost two million dollars in stock and jewels. Stanley and his family share the money with Zero, and they each become wealthy. However they also make a lot of money from the foot odor cure, Sploosh (which smells like spiced peaches), that Stanley's father invented. Using the money, Zero is able to hire a team of private investigators and is reunited with his mother, who knows another version of the Yelnats lullaby, hinted to be the original version.

According to the book, the "curse" that Stanley's no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather put on his family was broken the day Stanley carried the famished Zero (descendent of Madame Zeroni) up the mountain in order to save him. This was also the day that Stanley's father found the cure to foot odor.